Inside the Dark Family Ties of Bryan Kohberger: A Look at His Parents and Sisters After He's Sentenced to Life in Prison

Bryan Kohberger — a name now synonymous with unspeakable tragedy — was arrested and charged with the brutal murders of four University of Idaho students in 2022.

This former criminology Ph.D. student, who was granted a plea deal to avoid the death penalty in June, is the youngest child of Michael Kohberger Jr. and MaryAnn Kohberger. He has two older sisters, Amanda and Melissa, who have been drawn into this shocking saga.

After the chilling murders of Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Madison Mogen, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20, Bryan was apprehended at his parents' Pennsylvania residence on December 30, 2022.

Following his arrest, his family issued a heartfelt statement through his public defender, expressing their support for Bryan while also offering sympathy to the victims' families.

"We have fully cooperated with law enforcement agencies in an attempt to seek the truth and promote his presumption of innocence rather than judge unknown facts and make erroneous assumptions. There are no words that can adequately express the sadness we feel, and we pray each day for them," the statement read.

Here's what we know about the Kohberger family:

Both of Bryan's parents dedicated years of service to the Pleasant Valley School District. Michael worked as a maintenance worker for the district from 2006 until 2019, as reported by The New York Post.

In a shocking turn of events, just weeks after the horrific killings, Michael flew to Washington to bring his son home, embarking on an astounding 2,500-mile road trip back to Albrightsville, Pennsylvania in the very white Hyundai Elantra that caught police attention. During the holidays, Bryan spent time with his family until his shocking arrest on December 30.

In a further twist, both of Bryan's parents received subpoenas to testify before a grand jury in May 2023, according to CNN. An attorney attempted to quash the subpoena but was unsuccessful, suggesting the family's ongoing legal entanglements.

Interestingly, Bryan's past also paints a troubling picture. He was arrested in 2014 on misdemeanor theft charges for allegedly taking his sister's phone — an incident that led Michael to contact law enforcement.

Bryan avoided jail time for that infraction, but it adds another layer to an already complicated family narrative.

MaryAnn was also employed by the Pleasant Valley School District until 2020, where she worked as a paraprofessional aiding special-needs students.

Outside her professional role, MaryAnn occasionally contributed letters to the local paper, Pocono Record. In June 2022, she penned a reflective piece addressing the national crisis of school shootings.

"As I sat this morning, reeling from yet another school shooting, I found myself wrestling with which actions need to be taken to stop all the madness. What is the answer? Gun control measures? Mental health intervention?" she wrote. "As I read the poem, I thought, whatever the solution, I pray we consider the children before the gun."

Bryan's older sister, Amanda, remains a more enigmatic figure. Following her brother's arrest, reports surfaced claiming that both she and sister Melissa were fired from their jobs in March 2023, as noted by The New York Post.

While little is known about her current profession, Amanda did have a brief stint in acting, credited in the 2011 horror film Two Days Back, according to IMDb.

In contrast, MaryAnn stated in her letter to Pocono Record that Melissa was working as a mental health therapist in New Jersey. However, like her sister, reports indicate she was also terminated from her position around the same time.